Give me proof you’re such a great teacher

This page has administrative and student evaluations as well as letters from students.

(The main “proof” is that I love teaching.)

And see letters from previous students to tell you that you really can learn to swim, even if you are afraid to get in the pool.

An email from a former student June 2017:

“Hi Mary,

I took your lifeguard and CPR classes (and joined several Outdoor Club excursions!) in 2004/2005, and although I did work as a lifeguard for a while, I did not test the skills I learned from you until recently. I want to share with you a story of a rescue that would not have happened, or succeeded, without your training and your passion.

I work festival security, and a few events are held at lakeside campgrounds. Distressingly few of these events have lifeguards on duty, and even the ones which do typically only have lifeguards on shift during the day. I therefore spend a bit of time stressing before each event, thinking “what if someone needs a water rescue, in the lake, near the sound stage, at night…” Will anyone hear a call for help? Will anyone have the ability to respond? Or will I get called in when it is already too late? There are several possible worst case scenarios worth thinking about and planning for at these festivals, including active shooters and all the other standard “what ifs ,” and the water rescue scenarios have definitely been on my list of “worst case” possibilities.

Well, at a recent event, I was roaming front of house at the largest stage in preparation for the event closer, just before midnight, and a participant came up to me and said, “Hey, there’s a guy in the water, and it sounds like he’s trying to kill himself.” “Show me!” I said. When I got to the lake shore, a barrage of flashlights were trained on two figures in the water, one occasionally surfacing long enough to yell “Help” before the other pushed him under again. As my feet took me down the rocky hill at a run, my hands were stripping off my radio harness, hat, and other loose gear, and my mind was rehearsing all the things you taught us about working in opaque water and handling panicked/aggressive people. Another part of me was thinking “I do NOT want to get into this water. This is, in fact, worst case scenario. But this is life or death, there is an need, and I have the required skills to meet that need. In you go, then!”

As my feet hit the water, I was counting seconds the one person had been underwater; and also rehearsing to myself that if the other jumped me, I was pushing for the bottom before he touched me, and how I would hold my hands and arms to deter his grip, and all the other evasive possibilities I could think of. I remembered the day in class when you tried to climb on my head (and succeeded!) in emulation of a panicked swimmer, and how it had taken me three tries to figure out how to get away from you; but that I had learned a great deal, and remembered. I thought about the other tricks I’ve learned since then, about leverage and distraction. I thought about the backup I could expect, and how long it would take to get there, and if it would be too long if things went badly. I thought of how many seconds under the water would be too long for someone who had already been struggling for several minutes,

By the time I had reached the two people, who were on the other side on the channel, the submerged person had been under a good half minute, and my heart was sinking. I pushed them apart, yelling “Let him go!” and the one on top did let go, (!) and grabbed the nearby submerged bushes instead. The other came up semi-conscious, and I got him to the bank (keeping him above water and myself mostly under water, as I learned to do in class, since I do not float) where friendly hands were waiting to pull him on shore. The other had calmed while clinging to the bushes, and although he would not let go when I tried to pull him to shore, he let me talk him in. Both were then attended by medical staff and were released a few hours later.

I got lucky – my worst case scenario played out in the best possible way, and everyone came out of it OK. We all were lucky. But what tipped the balance were the skills you taught me, and the thoroughness of your training. If you hadn’t done that drill to let each of us know what it felt like to be grabbed by a panicked swimmer, if you hadn’t had us practice fully clothed, if you hadn’t talked about the specific hazards of lakes and how hard it is to find someone in opaque water once they’ve gone under, if you hadn’t taken a weak swimmer, trained her, strengthened her, and let her prove to herself that she can haul a 200 lb muscle-bound man from the bottom of the diving pool, haul him to shore while she herself is almost fully submerged, and keep drilling hard for another hour afterward, I would not have gone into the water that night. Instead, I would have run for the bridge and the other shore, looked for tools to throw to or bridges to get me to the swimmers, and I would have been too late by minutes. I would have been too late.

So thank you, for the training, for the life saved, and for being the wonderful person you are!

De Anza College requires regular administrative evaluations of faculty by other faculty.

From 2017

Section I

narrative comments on professional qualities, specifying, where relevant, areas of excellence and areas requiring improvement:

Mary Donahue is a model instructor for our division.

She has done an amazing job keeping up with technology as her website: http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/faculty/donahuemary/ clearly shows. Her swim classes are exceptional, as is her work on campus with various committees, and off campus with a number of volunteer opportunities that she has been a part of. Mary does not cease to amaze me with all of her work that she dedicates herself to, including her Red Cross Lifeguard instructor trainer position, and her work being the Senior Faculty Advisor to the De Anza Outdoor Club since 1990.

Section II

narrative comments on job performance based on observation or evaluation visit(s) specifying, where relevant, areas of excellence and areas requiring improvement:

I arrived at the pool deck at 10:15 a.m. and the Novice Swim class was getting settled in. As the students were checking in Mary had the class read an email that she had posted on the wall that one of her former students sent her. The student was going to swim at the Alcatraz Swim the next day and was thanking Mary for inspiring her to do so. This type of reading material for a novice class can be very powerful, to show how a former novice swimmer, from the same type class, now has the confidence and skills to tackle a swim in the ocean!

As the class got started Mary was teaching a surface dive from inside the pool in the shallow area, encouraging her students the whole time and boosting their confidence to try the same surface dive in the seven foot deep water. A few lanes down her husband was working with a couple of students who were successfully doing the same surface dive in the seven foot deep part of the pool. This was a big milestone day for some of the student to accomplish this!

This class is unique in that the instructor must be very hands on with each student because of safety factors. Because of this Mary has done an outstanding job of having qualified helpers, teacher’s aids, volunteers of record, and expert lifeguards, all of which are former students, or her husband, help her with teaching and assisting in this novice class.

After the surface dive attempts the whole class came together in the shallow end of the pool and Mary asked the students about the Red Cross swimming video they watched last week. She then went over the different arm positions and various aspects of the video. Mary was very interactive with the class, they were all very comfortable with each other, and all of the students participated in every part of class. Mary then reviewed drills that they have done in the past but need to continue to do in order to get better, more confident, and progress to the next level of swimming. This is a big part of any of our beginning or novice types of classes, quality repetition in learned skills is a must in order to progress! As Mary took them through the drills she would teach the drill and then emphasize certain parts of it. For example, in the Free Style drill Mary emphasized full reach with your arms and “what a big difference it makes when you keep you head in the water.” After a few attempts by the students, Mary demonstrated the difference of how your feet and legs sink down in the water when your head is lifted versus, head in the water and how you have a nice straight body line.

Throughout the class Mary encouraged the students, especially those that were having difficult keeping their heads in the water, and conversely those that were doing an outstanding job of that.

After the review of drills Mary put the class into teams based on what they do for a living or what they plan on doing for a living. This was a nice interactive conversation among students which allowed them to get to know each other a little bit better. Once the teams were formed they had competitions. They all really seemed to enjoy this part of the class, lots of smiles, laughter, and hard work. Mary mentioned a few times how far they have come as a class since the beginning of the quarter, which tells me she is doing her job as the awesome instructor that she is!

SECTION III

EVALUATOR’S COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY STATEMENT:

(This section may include, in addition to synthesis, professional activities not previously mentioned, suggestions for further growth, and professional contributions to the District.)

Mary Donahue continues to be an integral part of not only this division, but also the school and the district. Below lists just a few of the professional contributions she has given to the school:

· Academic Senate Member – Past five years

· Served on three Academic Senate Committees – Currently Model Course Syllabus

· Served on two De Anza Administrator Hiring Committees

· Served on various Governance / Task Force / Advisory Teams and Committees

· Written Curriculum & Completed SLO Assessments and Cycles

Mary has grown and continues to grow in her field of expertise, in the academic senate, and within all of the Red Cross work, volunteer work, and other activities that she sponsors and takes part in off campus. She is an amazing instructor who dedicates much of her time and valuable knowledge to others. We are very lucky to have her in our division!

“On Friday, February 26 I observed 60 minutes of a First Aid in the Workplace, Community and Wilderness class for Mary Donahue’s HLTH 57A class. The students came to class with their homework completed. Although this was only the second in a 4 class series, the students were well aware as to what they were expected to do. They placed their homework in front and took their seats. Mary had a power point up that allowed the students to review material as they waited for class to begin.

Mary started the class on time and reminded students about turning in homework. She started off by having an oral mini quiz that covered topics from the prior class. Mary assured students that the quiz was not going to count towards their grade, and she encouraged all students to participate.

Mary used multiple teaching modalities, moving efficiently from overheads to power points to video clips to student demonstrations. Mary had the students actually act out the procedures and scenarios effectively consolidating concepts. She had two student aides who very involved in the teaching and learning process.

Mary used humor effectively as well as personal anecdotes from her experiences
as a member of the Silicon Valley Red Cross Instructor Trainers Committee.

Mary is a valuable member of both the division and the department. She attends meeting regularly and is quick to volunteer her help and suggestions when asked. She has participated in writing and updating curricula. She has been involved in the division process of creating and implementing SLOs for her classes. She also volunteered on the campus wide testing of the portal grade reporting system. Outside of class time she mentors from 2 to 6 students each year to become Red Cross CPR certified for the Professional Rescuer instructors and in some cases first aid and/or lifeguard instructors. Her work for the department and division is truly appreciated.

The class I observed was well organized and the content was appropriate in depth and breadth for this course. The students were constantly engaged and actively participated in the interactive lesson. Mary has consistently demonstrated her passion for teaching and her interest in the student’s success. She has also been a very efficient and valued member of the department and division. Keep up the excellent work.”

A handwritten thank you card I found in paperwork after the spring 2008 lifeguard class;

“Dear Mary,

Coming into lifeguard training, I really did not know what to expect and how I’d do. It has been a roller coaster ride from then up until now. It is amazing how much experience I’ve gotten throughout the quarter. This has been the most challenging class I have ever taken in my life. I’ve never had to deal with so much physical + emotional + manual work. I am so grateful to have read what I needed to know, and for the things…the numerous skills you’ve taught me. I’ve never had an instructor really push me the way you have. I’m really touched and blessed to have taken this training course with you. Thank you for your honesty, time, patience and many chances to become a better rescuer, student and a better developed person.

Thank you very much. I’ll never forget you, and your authority.

God bless. (signature unreadable)”

____________________________________________

Part of an email from a PE 26B (Knes 001B) beginning level swimmer:

“I wanted to thank you for an excellent Beginning swimming class. Prior to taking your class, I attended a swimming facility for over 9 months. The second day of your class was essentially equal to the 9 months spent at the other facilty. Your style of teaching is unique. Not only are the students physically in the water practicing their form but also being challenged mentally with the readings, films/movies, and the assessment of the video of our swimming performance…. Your constant focus on safety is commendable and I like that.”

____________________________________________

Official student evaluations are required by De Anza College for each faculty member at least once every three years, or nine quarters of employment. The evaluation is handled and tabulated by a staff member other than the instructor being evaluated.

From December 2009, of a HLTH 57E class:

Mary is a great instructor. She keeps things very interesting & fun while being very serious about the need to learn it. She prepares us for the worst to make sure we are prepared for any situation.

This instructor is very thorough. Although she is strict, I still recommend her to anyone interested in learning CPR because she is just that good.

Thank you Mary, you taught so well and helped me understand important materials.

Some previous college administrative evaluations (instructors evaluated by other instructors).

Here are evaluations from Biological and Health Sciences Division Adult CPR and first aid classes I taught in October of 2004 and November of 2001.

October 2004

“I attended Mary Donahue’s Health 57C-95 on Oct. 28, 2004. This four evening course prepares students to take the Red Cross Certification Test in Adult Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED). Students also receive De Anza credit and a grade for successfully completing the coursework and certification test.

Mary’s green sheet for this class is comprehensive and covers a variety of topics ranging from course requirements to appropriate dress. She also maintains an equally comprehensive website. A student who takes the time to look at all the information that Mary provides will have many questions answered.

When I arrived to class Mary, with the help of several teaching assistants, was handing out CPR mannequin faces and showing a review video. Class officially began with a review of the steps to be followed when encountering situations where individuals are down, injured or unconscious. She reviewed the ‘three C’s’ using several imaginary scenarios and finally acting out a scenario purposely adding mistakes. Throughout this review the students were very engaged, listening attentively and readily responding to questions. It was clear that they enjoyed Mary’s easy-going, friendly manner and her sense of humor.

New material was then introduced using several videos on Cardiac Arrest. The videos were followed by a class discussion. Several times during the discussion Mary encouraged students to be confident, responsible first responders in an emergency situation. Students then formed pairs and practiced their CPR skills. Mary and her assistants circulated amongst the pairs and assisted each pair as students took turns working on their CPR mannequins. The students were comfortable asking for help when needed.

Mary brings a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge to the classroom. She does a good job of blending standard Red Cross Certification instruction within a college short course and her students benefit from her many years of experience.

November, 2001

“Section I: Mary is a prepared and well organized instructor who enjoys teaching and interacting with her students. Her knowledge of First Aid is extensive and appreciated by her students. In addition to
her teaching, Mary has contributed to the Department in her willingness to donate her time to revise the course curriculum that she teaches. We appreciate her help in this area.

Section II: The evaluation visit was in a Health 57A lecture period (Standard First Aid Section). Before class, I read Mary’s green sheet which is very complete and informative for her students. I observed Mary for about one hour. She began class promptly at 5:30 PM. What followed was an effective use of class time by utilizing a variety of teaching tools such as videos, overheads, and small group work. She began with a class discussion about why a person may be unconscious.

She led the students in a valuable discussion making sure that all participated. The students were comfortable in responding to Mary and appeared eager to participate in the discussion. She listened
carefully to each student and responded to them in a positive manner. To make her discussion points more meaningful, Mary would relate them to actual life situations. Her rapport with her students
was excellent. She treated each student in a kind and caring manner making sure that each student’s answer was given the proper attention. Her voice was clear and firm. After the initial discussion,
Mary showed a short video which dealt with a variety of emergency situations. She was kind to warn students to prepare themselves for some alarming scenes. After the video, Mary broke the class
up into small groups. The groups were to work from a workbook. She moved about the room checking each group to see if they had questions. After about fifteen minutes, she brought the class
back together to discuss questions that arose during the group meetings and to watch another short video. There was never a dull moment and a great deal of information was exchanged in an
interesting manner.

Section III: Mary’s teaching experience and Red Cross credentials have been very valuable to the Biology Department and have served our students well. We also appreciate her efforts to donate her
time to help revise the curriculum that she teaches. Her contributions are valuable to us. In this evaluation it was made obvious to me that Mary enjoys teaching and interacting with her students. She definitely wants her students to learn, remember, and to be successful.”

______________________________________

When the Red Cross introduced the 2001 lifeguard training program, all the current lifeguard instructors went to their chapters for an evening of re-training. At the main Santa Clara County meeting over half the instructors, 17 of 28 people, were graduates of De Anza College Lifeguard Training.

A list of my Red Cross instructor certifications and experience is atPersonal Info

______________________________________

Graduates of the De Anza College lifeguard training program who are now head lifeguards or facility managers come back to help teach the class and recruit employees. A note from one of them:

“I took the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training course and American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course just for fun. The knowledge and skills these courses have taught me led me to pursue a career in Aquatics as a lifeguard and swim instructor. Not only did I enter the career field fully certified and prepared, but I also entered it with more certifications and experience than most other candidates.

The additional training Mary Donahue provided in the Lifeguard Management portion of the course has helped me advance my career from a lifeguard/swim instructor to a head lifeguard, and now I am the Aquatics Coordinator at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos.

Not only do I highly recommend these American Red Cross courses to persons interested in pursuing a career in Aquatics, but I also highly recommend hiring lifeguards who took their training at De Anza College. I know that these lifeguards/swim instructors will join my company with not only the skills and certifications necessary to ensure a safe pool environment and teach effective swim lessons, but I also know that they will bring professionalism and strong leadership skills as well.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Lam

Aquatics Coordinator

Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center“

______________________________________

an email I received in August 2007:

“Mary,

I wanted to say thank you. I was surfing the web, searching for something, I don’t know what and I ran into a webpage with your name on it with De Anza’s logo. I couldn’t believe it. Anyway the site prompted my memory to pull out all the great things I experienced while taking your classes and helping out with lifeguarding. I took your lifeguard cert class, which was a huge turning point for me. It was my first job where I was helping others. I worked as a lifeguard, volunteered for Danskin’s Triathlon, and your beginning adult swimming class too. I remember all your encouragement and I can’t think of another teacher that gave me so much. You even paid me a huge compliment to my parents. I have so much to thank you for. Well, I’m a physical therapist now, helping those who sustain injuries at work. I finished my two BS degrees in 2000 and now live in Sacramento with my wife and son, with another on the way.

Oh, my name is John H—— and this was back in 1994-96.

Anyway, I had to tell you, that your effort made a difference and I’m grateful for what you did in a time of life where I was trying to define who I was, but now sure how.